The Ia Drang Valley is a valley located near Pleiku in Central Highlands of Vietnam. On November 14, 1965, 450 American soldiers of the 1st Air Cavalry Division were airlifted by helicopter to this valley with the intention of locating and eliminating North Vietnamese forces. These American soldiers were almost immediately surrounded by over 2,000 soldiers of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN, also known as the North Vietnamese Army) arriving in waves. American air and artillery support allowed the US forces to keep from being overwhelmed. During this three day engagement, 304 American soldiers and over 1,000 North Vietnamese soldiers were killed.